While NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told NBC’s Matt Lauer that he “respects” Colin Kapernick and other NFL players for protesting the national anthem, police unions are furious at Goodell and league officials for threatening to fine players who sought to wear cleats honoring the victims and heroes of 9/11.

As reported in the NY Post, “Two police union honchos are so outraged the NFL threatened to sack a Titans linebacker for wearing a patriotic pair of cleats honoring those who died on 9/11, they promised to pay his fine if he wears them in Sunday’sgame anyway.”

The linebacker, Tennessee Titans player Avery Williamson, commissioned special cleats to commemorate the 15th anniversary of 9/11. The Nashville Tennessean reports, “The star-spangled blue cleats with red- and white-striped Nike swooshes were airbrushed by True Blue Customs in Lexington, Ky. They feature the words “Never Forget” and “9/11” on the back of each shoe, with the “11” representing the Twin Towers. The NFL mandates all teammates wear the same color scheme on their shoes.”

Two players for the New York Giants, Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz had also planned to wear patriotic cleats for their gameSunday.

One of the union heads, Patrick Colligan of the 33,000 member New Jersey Policeman’s Benevolent Association was also upset that Kapernick wore socks during a recent practice depicting police officers as pigs.

“Kapernick can wear ‘pig socks’ and not even garner a response from the NFL, but this guy (Williamson) wants to honor those who tragically died on 9-11 and he’s threatened,” he noted.

About The Editor

Originally from Canton, Michigan, Hank Eckardt graduated from the University of Notre Dame with degrees in Political Science and Spanish. He then moved to Washington, D.C. to work for Congressman Kerry Bentivolio in 2014. After working in political fundraising for 3 years, he began as editor-in-chief of TheLead.com in June 2017.